Citation

Brenton J, Müller S, Rhodes R, Finch B. Behav. Res. Methods 2018; 50(1): 228-235.

Affiliation

B3 Electronic Design Pty Ltd, Perth, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.3758/s13428-017-0864-z

PMID

28233251

Abstract

Vision occlusion spectacles are a highly valuable instrument for visual-perception-action research in a variety of disciplines. In sports, occlusion spectacles have enabled invaluable knowledge to be obtained about the superior capability of experts to use visual information to guide actions within in-situ settings. Triggering the spectacles to occlude a performer's vision at a precise time in an opponent's action or object flight has been problematic, due to experimenter error in using a manual buttonpress approach. This article describes a new laser curtain wireless trigger for vision occlusion spectacles that is portable and fast in terms of its transmission time. The laser curtain can be positioned in a variety of orientations to accept a motion trigger, such as a cricket bowler's arm that distorts the lasers, which then activates a wireless signal for the occlusion spectacles to change from transparent to opaque, which occurs in only 8 ms.

RESULTS are reported from calculations done in an electronics laboratory, as well as from tests in a performance laboratory with a cricket bowler and a baseball pitcher, which verified this short time delay before vision occlusion. In addition, our results show that occlusion consistently occurred when it was intended-that is, near ball release and during mid-ball-flight. Only 8% of the collected data trials were unusable. The laser curtain improves upon the limitations of existing vision occlusion spectacle triggers, indicating that it is a valuable instrument for perception-action research in a variety of disciplines.

Language: en

Keywords

Automatic trigger; Laser curtain; Vision occlusion spectacles; Wireless